Alphabet Inc.'s Google received a hefty fine of $56.8 million from France's privacy regulator, which used its new powers to levy much higher penalties for the first time under European Union data protection rules.

France's data authority CNIL said the amount of the fine was "justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles" of the EU's General Data Protection Rules, or GDPR. They are "transparency, information and consent," it said Monday in a statement.

The EU rules took effect across the 28-nation bloc on May 25, and gave national privacy regulators equal powers to fine companies as much as 4 percent of global annual sales for the most serious violations. Google has come under CNIL's scrutiny many times before, but under the old rules, fines couldn't exceed the maximum of 150,000 euros. While this is the first time CNIL has benefited from the new rules, several other countries have issued fines.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google received a hefty fine of $56.8 million from France's privacy regulator, which used its new powers to levy much higher penalties for the first time under European Union data protection rules.France's data authority CNIL said the amount of the fine was "justified by the severity of the [...]

Alphabet Inc.'s Google received a hefty fine of $56.8 million from France's privacy regulator, which used its new powers to levy much higher penalties for the first time under European Union data protection rules.

France's data authority CNIL said the amount of the fine was "justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles" of the EU's General Data Protection Rules, or GDPR. They are "transparency, information and consent," it said Monday in a statement.

The EU rules took effect across the 28-nation bloc on May 25, and gave national privacy regulators equal powers to fine companies as much as 4 percent of global annual sales for the most serious violations. Google has come under CNIL's scrutiny many times before, but under the old rules, fines couldn't exceed the maximum of 150,000 euros. While this is the first time CNIL has benefited from the new rules, several other countries have issued fines.

Alphabet Inc.'s Google received a hefty fine of $56.8 million from France's privacy regulator, which used its new powers to levy much higher penalties for the first time under European Union data protection rules.France's data authority CNIL said the amount of the fine was "justified by the severity of the [...]

Gillette ignited a firestorm on social media, TV talk shows and around the office water cooler last week with a surprising take on its long-running "Best a Man Can Get" campaign. Titled "We Believe," the spot from Grey, New York, aims to reframe the meaning of masculinity. Set against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, it calls for a stop to behaviors like mansplaining, bullying and sexual harassment, asking, "Is this the best a man can get? Is it?"

In the first 48 hours, the "We Believe" video racked up 19.7 million views, according to analytics firm Talkwalker. By day three, it added another 6 million on YouTube alone. (The spot did not run on TV.)

Some celebrities, such as Chrissy Teigen, Rainn Wilson and Arianna Huffington, applauded it on Twitter as enlightened. But another social media faction emerged, decrying the ad as unfair and insulting to men. Right-wing pearl clutcher Piers Morgan tweeted: "I've used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men."

Gillette ignited a firestorm on social media, TV talk shows and around the office water cooler last week with a surprising take on its long-running "Best a Man Can Get" campaign. Titled "We Believe," the spot from Grey, New York, aims to reframe the meaning of masculinity. Set against the [...]

At first, the therapist assumes his concerns are related to being seen by millions until he explains it's not a TV spot, and that people have to buy tickets to see the commercial in a theater.

"You have to buy a ticket to see an ad?" the therapist asks.

"Michael, nobody here is judging you," the therapist says later on in the roughly 90-second spot. "We just think you make terrible career decisions."

At first, the therapist assumes his concerns are related to being seen by millions until he explains it's not a TV spot, and that people have to buy tickets to see the commercial in a theater."You have to buy a ticket to see an ad?" the therapist asks."Michael, nobody [...]

A week before the midterm elections, a single statistic from an Adobe study raised eyebrows: 40 percent of likely voters between the ages of 18 and 37 saw no political advertising last fall. While brands already knew that young adults increasingly were tuning out linear TV and Facebook and installing digital ad blockers, few would have guessed just how hard it's gotten to reach Gen Z and millennials.

For marketers spending huge cash on these channels, it should be a wake-up call. Gen Z alone has total spending power valued at $143 billion, with overall spending of almost $100 billion, according to Barkley, a marketing and ad agency. But these generations are not untouchable. To engage young adults, brands should consider focusing on these three ideas:

Speak Instagram

A week before the midterm elections, a single statistic from an Adobe study raised eyebrows: 40 percent of likely voters between the ages of 18 and 37 saw no political advertising last fall. While brands already knew that young adults increasingly were tuning out linear TV and Facebook and installing [...]

Social media influencers can be an important part of a brand's marketing arsenal, but care and attention are necessary to reduce the potential for legal and reputational risks. The Federal Trade Commission has signaled that it will continue to vigorously enforce truth-in-advertising compliance related to influencers, and the speed at which information and controversy spreads raises the reputational stakes related to influencer misconduct.

Keep the FTC at bay and help protect your brand reputation with a legal tune-up for a more effective, sustainable influencer program. Here are our top tips for 2019:

Revisit the plan

Social media influencers can be an important part of a brand's marketing arsenal, but care and attention are necessary to reduce the potential for legal and reputational risks. The Federal Trade Commission has signaled that it will continue to vigorously enforce truth-in-advertising compliance related to influencers, and the speed at [...]

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the Top 5 most innovative brand ideas you need to know about now.

5. Vitalant: 'The Blood Line,' We Are Unlimited

Non-profit blood service provider Vitalant and We Are Unlimited were behind this simple but stunning reminder of the importance of blood donations. They transformed Chicago's Red Line train into the "Blood Line," an especially powerful move considering that this particular train has been the setting for some of the city's most violent crimes.

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the Top 5 most innovative brand ideas you need to know about now.5. Vitalant: 'The Blood Line,' We Are UnlimitedNon-profit blood service provider Vitalant and We Are Unlimited were behind this simple but stunning reminder of the importance of blood donations. They transformed Chicago's [...]

Kia, which has a history of putting celebrities in its Super Bowl ads, is going without a star this year. Instead the South Korean automaker will use its ad to launch "The Great Unknowns Scholarship," which it says will help "help young people in need get a foothold in higher education."

The effort was teased with an ad that ran during Sunday's NFC Championship game on Fox that sought to connect Kia to commoners, not A-listers. In the ad, a boy with a southern accent says: "Right now companies everywhere are choosing celebrity endorsers for their big-game ad. Millions will be paid, just like any other year. But what if it wasn't? What if a few of those celebrity paychecks got set aside to help unfamous people? What if this year in some way, it was about the rest of us?"

The Super Bowl campaign is by Kia U.S. agency-of-record David & Goliath.

Kia, which has a history of putting celebrities in its Super Bowl ads, is going without a star this year. Instead the South Korean automaker will use its ad to launch "The Great Unknowns Scholarship," which it says will help "help young people in need get a foothold in higher [...]

Kraft is getting a bit more vocal about the partial U.S. government shutdown and is seeking the help of other marketers.

The food maker ran a letter about the shutdown as a full-page ad on the back page of Sunday's issue of The Washington Post.

"We hope that by the time you read this, the shutdown is over," the open letter begins.

Kraft is getting a bit more vocal about the partial U.S. government shutdown and is seeking the help of other marketers.The food maker ran a letter about the shutdown as a full-page ad on the back page of Sunday's issue of The Washington Post."We hope that by the time you [...]

Kraft is getting a bit more vocal about the partial U.S. government shutdown and is seeking the help of other marketers.

The food maker ran a letter about the shutdown as a full-page ad on the back page of Sunday's issue of The Washington Post.

"We hope that by the time you read this, the shutdown is over," the open letter begins.

Kraft is getting a bit more vocal about the partial U.S. government shutdown and is seeking the help of other marketers.The food maker ran a letter about the shutdown as a full-page ad on the back page of Sunday's issue of The Washington Post."We hope that by the time you [...]